Game.



R. H. WILMER.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1| 19H- Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

7 ammo n F(- H Wu LMEK RICHARD HEN RY WILMER, OF SHANDON, OHIO.

GAME.

Application filed December 7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD H. WVILMER,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Shandon, in the county ofButler and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Games, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to games, and particularly to those games in whicha board is employed having a plurality of stalls, and in which a marbleor other like body is rolled down the board so as to lodge in any one ofthe stalls.

he primary object of my invention is the provision of a very simple gameapparatus of this general character so construct ed that the elements ofchance and skill are both present, and so formed that it may be playedin a number of different ways to add to or reduce the complexity of thegame.

A further object of the invention is to providea game board for thepurpose stated wherein the stalls provided for the lodgment of themarbles are formed by aplurality of pins, these pins being set adistance apart slightly less than the diameter of the balls employed inthe game, the pins being resilient and acting to deflect the marble orball unless the marble or ball is projected directly between the pins,but acting also to hold the marble or ballif the latter strikes thespace between the pins properly.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure1 is a plan view of the game board; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthereof.

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates a flat, smooth board which isinclined in the direction of its length, the upper end of the board 2being supported by means of a vertical supporting member 3. The marginof the board is encompassed on all sides by a wall 4 which extendsapproximately about an inch above the surface of the board. Disposed atthe lower end of the board and in spaced relation with the end wall 4"thereof are a plurality of pins 5. which extend transversely across theboard, the board being provided with numbers, these numbers beingdisposed between the pins and corresponding to the stalls formed betweenthe pins.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. to, 1915. Serial No. 875,885.

The pieces whereby the game is played are in the form of balls ormarbles, one of these pieces being shown and being designated 6.

It will be observed that the pins 5 are spaced from each other adistance slightly .e ss than the diameter of the piece 6, these pinsbeing so spaced, however, that if the marble or ball is projectedproperly it will force these resilient pins apart and will be wedged orheld between the pins. If, however, the marble or ball strikesimproperly, as for instance, strikes upon one pin with greater forcethan it strikes the neXt adja-.- cent pin, the marble or ball will bedeflected and will be caused to rebound from the pins, and again rollingdownthe board will accidentally find a lodgment between any one of apair of pins. It will thus be seen that if the ball or, piece isprojected with suflicient force and is properly directed, it will beforclbly disposed between two of the pins and held in this position,whereas if the ball is deflected by striking one of the pins it willsimply roll down on the board until it rests or finds lodgment againsttwo of the pins.

It will be noted that the end wall 43 which is disposed at the higherend of the board is above the level of the upper edgeof the wall 4.Inward of the wall i there will be a space, defined in any suitablemanner, as by being of a different color thanthe face of the board, thisspace being designated 7, and from this space, in one manner of playingmy game, the ball 6 may be shot toward the pins 5. Upon the upper edgeof the wall 4& there will also be a space, designated 8, which will beproperly defined, as by a suitable color, from which the ball 6 may beshot, but in this case the ball will strike the wall 4 and reboundtherefrom toward the pins 5.

Of course it is to be understood that the board 2 may be of any desiredlength to give free movement to the marbles or balls 6, and to requirean exertion of skill on the part of the player. The walls 4, 4- and 4Sconstitute cushions against which the balls or marbles will'strike andbe deflected. It will also be seen that as the wall 4 is disposed on alevel. above the wall 4:", a player resting his hand upon the wall 4 canshoot the marble against the wall 4Q without the marble touching theboard 2, so that the marble may be projected against the wall P with allthe force necessary to return it forcibly toward the pins 5.

My game may be played in two ways, as before indicated. The players mayshoot from the space 7 directly toward the pins 5, or they may shootfrom the space 8 against the wall at" and back to the pins 5, the lastof course, requiring the greater skill. It will of course be understoodthat in playing the game the player wins or makes those numbers whichare indicated by the stall into which his ball falls or rolls, and thatpreferably each player has a certain number of rolls or a certain numberof balls to roll, and that his score is found by adding up the numbershe has won. The game is adapted to be played by a plurality of players,the players being arranged on sides," and the total score for each sideindicating the winning side.

My game has a clear, unobstructed inclined plane forming a runway orboard for the marbles, thus allowing the player to a certain extent tocontrol the chances of winning high numbers by his practiceand skill. Aline of more or less elastic pins at the lower end of the board givesthe game the element of chance, while at the same time these pins act aspartitions for the several stalls. Unless the marble strikes squarely inthe space between two pins it will be thrown out laterally, and willroll into the space between other pins. It requires considerable skillto so roll a marble that it shall move along the board and land at thenumber desired, even one time in six. The element of skill and chance,as well as increased action are added to by having a base space at thelower end of the board from which the marble may be rolled or shot to-Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe ward the wall 4*, so that the marble will go twice the length of theboard before settling into a stall. The use of the head board or wall aas a deflector in causing the marble to rebound toward the line of pinsis very effective, yet simple.

The game is interesting, can be made very cheaply, and has obviousattractiveness, and may be used in place of dice in such games aspachisi, backgammon, etc.

Having described my invention, claim is:

1. A game apparatus, comprising an in clined'board having an upstandingwall at its margin, and a row of resilient pins disposed parallel to thewall at the lower end of the board and spaced therefrom, the spacebetween said pins being numbered, and a ball movable upon the board andhaving a diameter slightly greater than the spaces between the pins.

Z. A game apparatus of the character described, having an inclined boardformed with upwardly extending side walls, a row of resilient pinsdisposed parallel to the lower end wall and adjacent thereto, the spacesbetween said pins being numbered, there being a base indicated upon theboard at its upper end adjacent the wall thereof, and a base indicatedupon the up per edge of the lower wall, and balls constituting pieceswith which the game is played, said balls having a diameter slightlygreater than the spaces between said pins.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'tlix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

RICHARD HENRY WVILh/IER.

Witnesses JOHN M. EVANS, OLLIE C. EVANS.

what I Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

